Minister Kubuabola meets the President of the U.N. General Assembly in New York

New York

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Fiji’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the General Assembly, Dr John Ashe. Minister Kubuabola congratulated Dr. Ashe for taking on the important task of Presiding over the United Nations General Assembly at its 68th session. The Minister assured the President of the General Assembly of Fiji’s support to his work.

As current Chair of the Group of 77 and China, both the Minister and the PGA agreed that Fiji plays a key role in the sustainable development discussions being undertaken by the General Assembly. Being from Antigua and Barbuda, a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) in the Caribbean region, the PGA understood very well the challenges faced by developing countries generally, in particular SIDS. The discussion touched on the important preparatory work and processes that will be undertaken at the United Nations in the next few months leading up to the international conference to address the concerns of SIDS, which will be held in Samoa in 2014. The PGA underscored his commitment to the plight of SIDS adding that the SIDS conference next year in Samoa will be a main feature of his Presidency, as well as being one of his final major responsibility as PGA.

Minister Kubuabola thanked Dr Ashe for having visited Fiji twice this year and invited him to do so again during his tenure as President of the General Assembly.